The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday expanded its list of allowed sunscreen ingredients to include bemotrizinol, a UV filter long used in Europe, Australia and some Asian countries. It is the first time in more than 20 years that the agency has permitted a new compound onto the U.S. sunscreen ingredient list.
Bemotrizinol blocks harmful ultraviolet rays and is broad-spectrum, meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. The FDA said the compound has low levels of absorption into the body, a point that stands out as concern has grown in recent years over whether some sunscreen chemicals may seep into the bloodstream. For American consumers, the move could eventually mean access to an ingredient that has been common overseas for years but unavailable in U.S. products.
That matters because the U.S. market has long split sunscreen protection into a patchwork of ingredients. Chemical sunscreen filters sold here have typically protected against either UVA or UVB rays, while mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide cover both but often leave a white cast on the skin. Chemical sunscreens also break down in the sun and need to be reapplied regularly, leaving bemotrizinol as a potentially useful addition rather than a minor tweak.
The Environmental Working Group praised the FDA’s move, saying bemotrizinol offers better protection against UVA in particular. David Andrews, a senior scientist with the group, said: “This is a great day for American consumers and everyone who has fought to improve sunscreen options and close the UVA protection gap in U.S. sunscreens.”
What the decision does not yet answer is when products containing bemotrizinol will actually reach store shelves in the United States. The FDA has cleared the ingredient, but consumers will still have to wait for manufacturers to bring new formulations to market.
